A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS

By: Khaled Hoseini

Chapter 1
Mariam is a young girl who lives with her mother in the small village of Gul Daman. When she's five, her mother
calls her a harami(illegitimate child) for the first time after she accidentally breaks an old family heirloom.
Mariam's father, Jalil, visits her for one or two hours each Thursday. He's totally affectionate with Mariam while they're
together, and he calls her a "little flower" (1.1.7). When Jalil leaves, Nana always criticizes him, calling him a liar and a
hypocrite.
Jalil has three wives and nine legitimate children back home. Talk about a busy man, right? He owns a local movie
theater and a few other businesses.
Nana used to be Jalil's housekeeper; the two had an affair that, well, resulted in Mariam. Jalil's family swore vengeance
and shamed Nana's father into abandoning her. Jalil struck a deal with his wives, and he now houses Nana and Mariam
in Gul Daman.

Chapter 2
Nana recalls how she almost got married once when she was fifteen. Unfortunately, she had a seizure (which she calls
a jinn, or evil spirit), and it scared off her potential husband.
Nana also talks about the day that Mariam was born. She claims that she gave birth to Mariam alone in their house and
had to cut the cord herself. Yikes. Jalil, on the other hand, claims that he was involved with Mariam's birth. For now, at
least, Mariam buys his version of the story.

Chapter 3
Although Nana dislikes visitors, there are a few people who come by occasionally, like Bibi Jo, an older woman who
gossips with Nana.
Mariam's favorite visitor is Mullah Faizullah, a local religious leader who visits sometimes with his son Hamza. Mullah
Faizullah teaches verses of the Koran to Mariam.
One day, Mariam tells Mullah Faizullah that she wants to go to a real school. He hesitantly asks Nana, but Nana refuses,
saying that the only thing a woman needs to learn is to "endure" (1.3.40).

Chapter 4
Jalil's getting his visit on again. Nana, surprisingly, is very polite and subdued while he's around. Jalil tells Mariam stories
about Herat.
Jalil gives Mariam a necklace on her fourteenth birthday. Mariam is appreciative, but Nana says that it's cheap and low
quality after Jalil leaves.

Chapter 5
It's almost Mariam's fifteenth birthday, and she is psyched. During her weekly visit with Jalil, she asks him take her to
see a new American cartoon. He avoids the question.
After Jalil leaves, Mariam returns to her home and finds Nana furious. She calls Mariam an ungrateful daughter and tells
her that she will die if Mariam leaves.
Outside of the house, Mariam takes ten pebbles and arranges them in three columns. The three columns represent
Jalil's three wives, and the rocks represent their children. She leaves one pebble, representing herself, to the side.
At noon on her birthday, Mariam gets dressed up and goes to wait for Jalil. When he doesn't arrive, Mariam impulsively
heads to his home in Herat.
Mariam knocks on the door and is met by a young woman who gets confused when Mariam tells her that she is Jalil's
daughter. A man comes out and tells her that Jalil is out of town. Stubbornly, Mariam refuses, and she ends up spending
the night in Jalil's front yard.
In the morning, the driver returns and tells Mariam that she has to leave. He tries to bring her to his car, but she slips
away and runs through Jalil's gate.
As she runs through the front garden, Mariam sees Jalil watching through the window. He quickly closes the blinds, and
the driver is finally able to pull Mariam to the car.
The driver brings Mariam home to Gul Daman. A horrible sight awaits them, however: Nana has hanged herself.

Chapter 6
Mariam is sent to live with Jalil after Nana's funeral.
Mariam is given the guest room. She's visited by Niloufar, one of Jalil's daughters; Bibi Jo; and Mullah Faizullah.
After being there for a week, Mariam is called downstairs because the family has something important to talk to her
about. Uh oh: this doesn't sound good.
Chapter 7
Mariam sits at a table with Jalil and his three wives. After some uncomfortable small talk, Khadija (one of the wives) tells
Mariam that they want her to marry a man named Rasheed.
Mariam resists, but the wives tell her that Rasheed is a good man and a wealthy shoemaker. Mariam protests, but Jalil
sides with his wives.
They send Mariam to her room and lock the door.

Chapter 8
The next morning, Mariam is given a dress and is brought downstairs, where she finds two men and a local Mullah
(not her beloved Mullah Faizullah) preparing for her wedding ceremony.
Mariam meets Rasheed, her future husband, and before you can say "Yikes," the two are married.
Mariam has an emotional goodbye with Jalil after the ceremony. She finally tells him how disappointed she is with him,
and this visibly upsets him.

Chapter 9
Mariam and Rasheed arrive in Kabul. While Rasheed's house is far more modest than Jalil's, it's huge compared to Nana
and Mariam's home.
Rasheed gives Mariam a tour, but all she can do is cry. Rasheed tells her how much he hates the sound of women crying.
He sure seems like a keeper.
Eventually, Rasheed brings Mariam to a guest room, telling her that he prefers to sleep alone. He heads back to his
bedroom to sleep.

Chapter 10
Mariam doesn't do much for the first few days and is always sure to be in bed by the time Rasheed gets home from
work. Rasheed grows tired of this, telling her that he expects her "to start acting like a wife" (1.10.17). Again, all Mariam
can do is cry.
The next day, Mariam begins her duties as a wife, soaking lentils and vegetables for Rasheed's dinner and preparing
dough to cook at the village's communal tandoor baking oven.
Mariam follows a group of women and children to the tandoor. One woman named Fariba strikes up a conversation,
but they're rudely interrupted by the other women. Frightened, Mariam runs home without baking the bread.
Rasheed is actually pleased with the meal that Mariam prepares for him. He suggests showing her around Kabul the
following day and hands her a brown paper bag. Mariam looks inside and

Chapter 11
Rasheed has given Mariam a burqa, and he's told her that she must wear it whenever she leaves the home. Mariam has
never worn one before.
Rasheed takes Mariam around town, showing her a local park and the American embassy. He even buys Mariam her
first ice cream conewhich totally blows her mind.
Rasheed goes inside a shop while Mariam stands outside and watches the "modern Afghan women [who] walked
among strangers with makeup on their faces and nothing on their heads" (1.11.19).
Eventually, Rasheed emerges and gives Mariam an embroidered shawl as a gift. She's surprised and genuinely moved by
the gesture.
Later that night, Rasheed and Mariam consummate their marriage.

Chapter 12
The Eid-ul-Fitr festival follows Ramadan each year, and Mariam and Rasheed leave the house to join in the festivities.
Mariam sees Fariba again, but Rasheed mocks her and her teacher husband.
On the third and final day of Eid, Rasheed leaves town to visit friends, and Mariam stays home alone.
Mariam cleans the house, eventually making her way to Rasheed's room. Although she's never been inside, her curiosity
gets the better of her, and she enters the room.
Mariam starts going through Rasheed's drawers. In the top drawer there is gun sitting on top of a few magazines.
Mariam examines the gun before realizing that the magazines are pornographic.
In the bottom drawer, Mariam finds an old picture of Yunus, Rasheed's now-dead son. There's also a photograph of
Rasheed with his first wife.
Mariam puts everything back where she found it and continues cleaning the house.

Chapter 13
Mariam and Rasheed are on a bus back home after visiting the doctor. Mariam is pregnant, and Rasheed is making
it very clear that he wants a boy.
Rasheed celebrates the pregnancy by hosting a party the following night. Mariam cooks and cleans but spends the night
upstairs in her room.
Later, Mariam visits a bathhouse at Rasheed's request. While there, she begins to bleed, and she miscarries the child.
The miscarriage deeply upsets Rasheed, and his attitude towards Mariam markedly shifts.

Chapter 14
Mariam is deeply depressed after the miscarriage. Rasheed rarely talks to her and is downright hostile when he does.
In an attempt to ease their pain, Mariam suggests holding a burial ceremony for the baby. Rasheed brushes her idea
aside, but Mariam goes through with the funeral the next day.

Chapter 15
It's now 1978. Mariam watches large political demonstrations on the streets from her window. She sees Fariba, who is
now pregnant.
Mariam and Rasheed stay inside and listen to the radio. Rasheed talks goofily about politics (in his eyes, a communist is
someone who believes in "Karl Marxist") and insults Mariam (1.15.4).
It turns out that Mariam has gone through six pregnancies since her first, each one ending in a miscarriage. Rasheed
becomes crueler with each one.
A few weeks later, Mariam and Rasheed wake up to see military planes zooming over Kabul.
Mariam cooks dinner that night while Rasheed listens to the radio. An Air Force Colonel is claiming that the communists
have taken control of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, there's a jump cut to Fariba, who has just given birth to a daughter named Laila. More on her soon
Back home, Rasheed is furious about dinner. He tells Mariam that the rice is overcooked. Mariam tries to apologize, but
Rasheed storms outside and returns with a handful of pebbles. He forces them into Mariam's mouth and makes her
chew, breaking two of her molars.

Chapter 16
We return to Kabul in the spring of 1987, now following Laila, Fariba's daughter, instead of Mariam.
A nine-year old Laila wakes up in a grumpy mood because her best friend Tariq is gone on a thirteen-day trip with his
parents. Laila and Tariq are inseparable, and Laila is only five days into a torturous two weeks.
As usual, Laila's parents spend the whole morning arguing while she gets ready for school. There's been tension
between the two since Laila's father, Babi, let her brothers Ahmad and Noor go to war against the communists. Mammy,
Laila's mother, has been resentful ever since.
Laila heads off to school and notices a fancy Mercedes-Benz in front of Rasheed's house. Who could that be?
After school, Laila heads home with her two friends, Giti and Hasina. Laila walks the last few blocks alone, but she's
stopped when someone comes up behind her and puts a gun to her face.

Chapter 17
It's Khadim, one of Laila's classmates, and although it's just a squirt gun that he's holding, his aggression frightens Laila.
He mocks her about Tariq and then sprays her with an awful-smelling liquid.
After returning home, Laila cleans up and visits Mammy in her room. Mammy has been holed up in bed all afternoon, as
usual, and she's non-responsive even after Laila tells her what happened.
Wait, what happened? Uhh well, folks, the liquid that Khadim sprayed on Laila was urine. That's TMI, Mr. Hosseini.

Chapter 18
Tariq doesn't come back after the thirteen days are up. In fact, he doesn't return for several weeks. Laila gets more
anxious by the day, but she's ecstatic when she looks out the window to see a flashlight beaming toward her from
Tariq's window.
Laila rushes over to Tariq's house the next morning and greets Tariq and his family. Laila and Tariq have fun together,
telling riddles and making jokes, until Laila tells Tariq about what happened with Khadim and the squirt gun.
Furious, Tariq goes and confronts Khadim, taking off his prosthetic leg (as a child, he lost one of his legs to a landmine)
and beating Khadim down John Cena style.
Later that day, Laila is eating dinner with her family when a knock at the door interrupts their meal.

Chapter 19
The man at the door is a comrade of Ahmad and Noor. He announces that the two brothers have died in battle.
Much of the town is at the funeral the following day, including Giti, Tariq, and Mariam. Mammy refuses to speak to
Babi.
Laila is upset about her brothers, but she feels grateful that her "true brother" Tariq is alive and well (2.19.25).

Chapter 20
Mammy is even worse after the funeral. She's sick all of the time, refusing to leave the bed except to pray.
One night, as Laila spends time with her mother, Mammy confesses that she hasn't been a good mother to Laila. Then
she says that although her sons are dead, she still holds out hope for a free Afghanistan. She eventually falls asleep,
leaving Laila to stew in her thoughts.

Chapter 21
Laila, Tariq, and Babi are taking a day trip to the famous Bamiyan Buddhas. On the way over, Babi and the driver talk
about the history of imperialism in Afghanistan.
They climb to the top of the statues. As Tariq explores, Laila and Babi daydream about leaving the chaos of Afghanistan
for the United States. Both of them know that Mammy would never want to leave the country, so the conversation
ends.
Jump forward six months to April 1988. News has just come in that the communists are relinquishing power, leaving a
puppet government in its place.

Chapter 22
A year later, eleven-year-old Laila, with her family and friends, is watching the last of the Soviet forces leaving Kabul.
After returning to the city, Laila and Tariq go to see a dubbed Russian movie at the local theater. They make fun of the
movie so much that you'd think they were auditioning for Mystery Science Theater 3000.
At one point during the film, however, two characters share a passionate kiss. Laila feels butterflies in her stomach, and
she can't help but notice that Tariq is squirming in his seat, too.

Chapter 23
The year is now 1992. Much has happened in the meantime: Hasina has left Kabul to be married, Tariq's father has
fallen ill, and the Soviet Union has collapsed altogether.
In April, the Soviet-supported puppet government falls to the Mujahideen rebels. Their victory wakes Mammy from her
slumber.
Mammy rises from bed early, rearranges the kitchen, and begins cooking right away. Mammy's got a brand new bag.
She's not alonethe entire city spends the next day partying.
At some point during the night, Tariq motions to Laila to meet him in a more private area. She finds him smoking a
cigarette in an alley, which she's never seen him do before.
Laila gets jealous of the attention Tariq has been receiving from other girls, but he tells her that he doesn't care about
any girl but her.
Before Laila can respond, they hear a commotion from the party and run back.
A fight has broken out. Tensions between the different ethnic groups have come to a head, and an argument between
several partygoers escalates into a full-blown brawl.
A larger version of this conflict is happening within the Mujahideen itself, causing the many different individual groups
within the alliance to go at odds with each other. Now, although the Soviets are gone, the Mujahideen is preparing for
yet another warthis time with itself.

Chapter 24
War has broken out again, and the sound of bombs and gunfire is ever-present in Kabul.
Things have gotten so bad that Laila won't walk out on the streets without the company of Tariq.
One day, Tariq tells Laila that he bought a gun so that he can protect her. The two share their first kiss in the front yard
of Laila's house.
Eventually the fighting gets so bad that Babi decides to homeschool Laila.
The family's fears are realized when Giti is struck and killed by a rocket on her way home from school. Laila has a
powerful emotional reaction at Giti's funeral.

Chapter 25
Later that year, Tariq tells Laila that he is leaving for Pakistan with his family. She begins to weep, and Tariq consoles her,
which leads to them making love.
Afterward, Tariq begs Laila to marry him and come with him to Pakistan. Laila wants to, but she couldn't bear to leave
Babi alone with Mammy, who has gone back to her depressive ways now that the Mujahideen has fallen apart.
Laila and Tariq part ways, and Tariq promises Laila that he'll come back for her.
Chapter 26
Laila constantly daydreams about Tariq and the last day they spent together.
The unthinkable has happened: Mammy's agreed to leave Afghanistan. She had a change of heart when a bullet nearly
hit Laila while she was standing in their front yard one day.
Now it's the day when the family is supposed to leave Afghanistan. Laila is outside loading luggage into a car while Babi
and Mammy remain inside, packing.
Laila suddenly hears a whistling, followed by an explosion. A stray rocket has hit the house, killing Babi and Mammy.
Laila is knocked out. She survives somehow, and in her delirium she sees two figures caring for her.

Chapter 27
Laila finally regains consciousness and realizes that it was Mariam and Rasheed taking care of her. Rasheed found her
after the explosion and has been paying for her medical care.
Now that she has woken up, Laila feels immense guilt over the loss of her parents.
Then, unexpectedly, there's a knock at the door. It's a man named Abdul Sharif requesting to speak with Laila.

Chapter 28
Abdul Sharif is visibly sick, regularly fumbling for his "sulfa pills" (3.28.2).
Sharif tells Laila that he recently fell ill on a business trip to Pakistan. He was sent to an intensive care unit where he
befriended a poor young man who had recently lost a leg, in addition to the leg that he had already lost when he was
younger. That man was Tariq.
According to Sharif, Tariq died soon after. His last wish was for Sharif to visit Kabul and tell Laila what had happened to
him.
Laila, though devastated, shows no sign of distress and goes numb, going back to her memory of her day visiting the
Buddhas with Babi and Tariq.

Chapter 29
Rasheed tries to console Laila by praising her and her family, despite the fact that he has talked mad trash about them
on numerous occasions. He goes on and on, so elaborately that Mariam realizes he's hitting on Laila.
Mariam asks Rasheed about it later, and he tells her that he wants to make Laila his second wife. Mariam isn't into this,
obviously, but Rasheed doesn't give her an alternative.
Later that night, Mariam goes to Laila's room and tells her what Rasheed said. Without a moment's hesitation, Laila says
yes.

Chapter 30
The next day, Rasheed presents Laila with a ringpurchased, we must add, with the funds he got from selling Mariam's
ring. When Laila resists, he grabs her by the throat and demands that she put it on.
It turns out that Laila said yes to Rasheed's proposal because she's pregnant with Tariq's child. Her plan is to stay with
Rasheed until she can save enough money to escape to Pakistan. Pretty sneaky, sis.
Laila and Rasheed get married soon after. Laila spends the night with Rasheed so that he will believe that the child is his.

Chapter 31
There's a cold war going on between the two wives. Laila stays in her room all day, while Mariam continues doing the
daily chores that she's done for years.
At dinner, Rasheed praises Laila and insults Mariam, comparing Laila to fancy "Benz" (we would have gone with Bugatti,
but maybe that's just us) and Mariam to a low-grade "Volga" (3.317). He tells Laila that she can't leave the house
without his company.
Days later, Laila finally reaches out to Mariam, starting with small talk and then going on to apologize for the things that
Rasheed says.
Furious, Mariam accuses Laila of stealing her husband and demands that Laila do half of the chores. Laila tries to
respond, but Mariam tells her that she doesn't want to speak to her.
It's on.

Chapter 32
Laila thinks back to the gossip about Rasheed that she had heard as a kid. Rasheed had been a drunk back then. The
word was that he had even been drunk when his son drowned. This runs through Laila's mind as she tells him that she's
pregnant.
The winter of 1992 comes and goes, and the war intensifies.
Finally, the tension between Mariam and Laila explodes. A small fight gets out of hand, and they end up cursing each
other out. Laila runs upstairs to her room, and the baby kicks for the first time.

Chapter 33
Laila and Rasheed return from the hospital, and it's immediately apparent to Mariam that Rasheed is unhappy. It turns
out that Laila has given birth to a girl, named Aziza, much to Rasheed's dismay.
Aziza causes tension between Laila and Rasheed from the word "go." They begin to argue constantly.
After one particularly rough argument, Rasheed runs into Mariam's room, accusing Mariam of turning Laila against him.
He goes to strike Mariam, but Laila grabs him and wrestles with him until he gives up and goes to bed.
Later that night, Mariam goes downstairs to get some water. She finds Laila and Aziza sleeping on the floor downstairs.
Aziza wakes up, smiles at Mariam, and grabs her fingers.
Aziza starts crying whenever Mariam turns away, so Mariam ends up spending all night lying beside the newborn.

Chapter 34
Two days later, Laila wakes to find new hand-sewn clothes for Aziza in a neat pile outside her door.
After dinner, Laila thanks Mariam for the clothes, and Mariam thanks Laila for standing up for her. Laila invites Mariam
to come outside with her and drink some chai tea. The two women share a moment together and the tension between
them disappears.

Chapter 35
Laila and Mariam bond after that night. The two women now do all of their chores together. Their chai tea date
becomes a nightly ritual. At the same time, Mariam and Aziza start to get attached to each other.
It's now 1994. The different military factions have changed sides once again (trust us, you do not want to play Risk with
these guys), and the fighting has intensified.
Then, one night, as Laila braids Mariam's hair, Mariam suddenly breaks down and tells Laila her life story. Laila tells
Mariam about her plan to escape to Pakistan with Aziza, and she asks Mariam to leave with them the following spring.

Chapter 36
It's the day of Laila and Mariam's planned escape. Laila has been stealing small amounts of money from Rasheed over
the years, and she uses the cash to hire a cab to the bus station.
There's only one wrinklenew laws forbid women from traveling without a male companion. Laila and Mariam will be
arrested if they try to buy tickets.
Laila approaches a kind-looking young man with a wife and young child, telling him that her husband has died and that
she needs to get to Pakistan. He agrees.
However, the man doesn't buy them tickets at allhe reports them to the authorities. Mariam, Laila, and Aziza are
arrested when they try to board, and they're sent right to the police station.
Mariam and Laila try to lie, but the police discover their identities and contact Rasheed.
Rasheed is furious when he brings them home. He punches Laila and locks her in her room before going downstairs and
beating Mariam.
Once he's finished, Rasheed returns to Laila's room and nails boards over the windows. He leaves Laila and Aziza locked
in the room for a whole day without food and water before finally unlocking the door and threatening to finish the job if
she tries to escape again.

Chapter 37
It's 1996. The war is still raging, but a new militia called the Taliban has entered the scene and quickly defeated its foes.
The Taliban was formed two years earlier by a man named Mullah Omar, who gathered up young Afghan men from
refugee camps in Pakistan and created an army supposedly founded on religious principles.
After years and years of war, the people of Afghanistan are relieved at the prospect of an end to the fighting. There are
celebrations in the streets for the first time in years when the Taliban take Kabul.
Things go bad immediately. First, the former president Najibullah is brutally executed, which deeply upsets Mariam and
Laila. The next day, the Taliban makes a public announcement declaring the country's new moral laws.
All mediafilms, books, paintings, music, televisionare banned. Women are forbidden from leaving the home
unattended or without the burqa. Women are also banned from attending school.
Laila can't believe it.

Chapter 38
The Taliban begin their censorship campaign. They destroy televisions, burn books, and shutter movie theaters. They
even turn Ghazi Stadium into a modern-day coliseum where criminals (adulterous women, men who won't grow beards)
are sentenced to public execution.
Laila scolds Rasheed for going to Ghazi Stadium to watch executions. In response, Rasheed implies that he knows that
Aziza is not his child. Laila would be sentenced to death if he told the authorities.
It turns out that Laila is pregnant with another childand this one is definitely Rasheed's. Laila almost gives herself an
abortion, but she decides against it when she thinks about the love she has for Aziza.

Chapter 39
Nine months later, Laila is about to give birth, but she's stopped at the front door of the hospital. The guards inform her
that there is a "women-only" hospital across town that she must go to.
The women's hospital is overcrowded, dirty, and underfunded. Only female doctors are allowed to work there, and
they're even forced to wear burqas during operations. Fortunately, they don't follow that last regulation.
The doctor tells Laila that she needs a Cesarean section, but the hospital has no anesthetic to give her. With Mariam at
her side, Laila undergoes the procedure fully conscious.

Chapter 40
Two years later, Mariam and Laila are digging a hole in the yard while Aziza and Zalmai, Laila's new son, play beside
them.
Laila is relieved that she loves Zalmai just as much as she loves Aziza. Zalmai loves his mother too, but he also totally
admires Rasheed.
Rasheed showers Zalmai with affection. One night, he brings home a TV and VCR that he bought at the black market
specifically for Zalmai.
Rasheed does this even though money is tighter than ever. Things have gotten so bad that Rasheed suggests sending
Aziza to the streets to beg for extra money.
Laila gets so angry that she punches Rasheed. Rasheed leaves the room, but Laila's victory is short lived; he returns and
threatens her with a gun.
The Taliban begin to raid people's homes for illegal items, like TVs or music. In fact, Laila and Mariam are digging a hole
in the backyard to bury the TV until those raids die down.
That night, Laila has a dream that she is burying Aziza alive in the backyard. She tells Aziza that she only needs to keep
her hidden away until the Taliban stop the raids. It's no Twin Peaks dream sequence, but it's pretty creepy.

Chapter 41
It's the year 2000, and Kabul is in the midst of a drought. For the people of the city, the only bright spot is the
movie Titanic, which has somehow made its way to every illegally owned VCR in the city.
That summer, a fire burns Rasheed's shop to the ground. The family has to sell everything, including the TV, to stay
afloat. Rasheed works several restaurant jobs but gets fired from each very quickly. He becomes even more violent
toward Laila and Mariam.
In desperation, Rasheed takes Mariam to the Intercontinental Hotel so she can contact Jalil for money. When they
arrive, Rasheed talks to a doorman who looks suspiciously familiar to Mariam.
Mariam calls the mayor's office in Herat and asks about Jalil. It turns out that Jalil has been dead for years and was even
dying when he visited Mariam in Kabulthe Mercedes-Benz that Laila saw in Chapter 16 was actually Jalil's. Mariam
had refused to see him then, but she now regrets it.

Chapter 42
It's April 2001, and the family is at its most desperate. Rasheed is making Laila send Aziza to a nearby orphanage
because they can no longer afford to care for her.
Although Laila is devastated, she's comforted by Zaman, the orphanage director, who shows clear concern for the
children under his protection. Aziza is crushed when they leave, but Laila promises her that they will visit her all the
time.
At first, Rasheed agrees to accompany Mariam and Laila on their visits to the orphanage. That doesn't last long,
however.
With no escort, Laila is forced to take her chances walking the streets alone. She is often beaten badly by the Taliban,
but it never stops her from trying again. During her actual visits, she can't help but notice how shaken Aziza seems.
She's even developed a stutter.
One day, Rasheed actually does escort Laila, Mariam, and Zalmai to the orphanage for a scheduled outing.
Rasheed has to leave early, so Laila, Mariam, and Zalmai return home by themselves. When they arrive, Zalmai freaks
out because there's a man standing at their front door.
It takes Laila a moment to realize who it is, but she loses it when she does figure it out. It's Tariq.

Chapter 43
Zalmai, still upset, is upstairs with Mariam while Laila and Tariq talk downstairs.
Mariam realizes that the doorman at the Intercontinental was none other than Abdul Sharif, the man who had come by
to inform Laila of Tariq's death.
Rasheed is turning out to be like a villain from an episode of Scooby Doo.

Chapter 44
Laila and Tariq are catching up downstairs. These days, Tariq lives in Murree, Pakistan. It's a vacation town for the
wealthy, so life is stable and quiet for people like Tariq.
Tariq and his family ended up at a refugee camp in Pakistan after leaving Kabul. They stayed there for a year, and Tariq's
father passed away during the first winter. His mother then fell ill, and Tariq became desperate for money.
Tariq got hooked into a hashish-smuggling operation but was caught by the police and sent to prison. He tells Laila that
he sent her countless letters during that time.
Tariq spent seven years in jail and was released in 2000. He made his way to Murree and got a job at a hotel as a janitor
and handyman.
Laila tells Tariq that Aziza is his daughter. Tariq is overjoyed, and he tells Laila that he will meet her the following day so
that they can visit Aziza together.

Chapter 45
Rasheed returns home later that night, and Zalmai unknowingly tells him about Tariq's visit. Rasheed sends Zalmai
upstairs and locks him in his room.
Rasheed returns downstairs and hits Laila in the face with his belt without saying a word. Laila tries to fight back, but
Rasheed begins to beat her badly.
Then something unusual happens: Mariam joins the fray, clawing at Rasheed's face and pulling his hair.
Rasheed doesn't know how to respond at first, but he quickly lunges towards Mariam. Laila defends Mariam, and
Rasheed ends up on top of her again. He's choking her now, and it looks like he's going to kill her.
Mariam goes to the toolshed in the backyard and grabs the shovel. She returns and gets Rasheed's attention, hitting
him in the temple when he turns around.
Mariam knows that Rasheed will kill both of them if she doesn't do something. Then, with one more swing, and every
bit of power she has left, she ends Rasheed's life.

Chapter 46
Laila regains consciousness and sees Rasheed's body. She panics, but Mariam remains remarkably calm. Mariam sits
Laila down and tells her that they need to move the body to the toolshed so Zalmai doesn't see it.
That night, Laila is freaking out and trying to think of a way for them to escape the predicament. Mariam is quiet but
says that she will spend the night thinking of a plan.
Laila goes to Zalmai's room and tells him that Rasheed has gone away. Zalmai is devastated.
The next morning, Mariam tells Laila that she must go with Tariq to Pakistan. Mariam has to stay and take the
punishment so the authorities won't go out looking for Laila. Laila is crushed and cries in Mariam's lap.
The next morning, Laila and Zalmai part ways with Mariam for the last time.

Chapter 47
Mariam has been sent to a women's prison. Her crime has given her a bit of notoriety, and the other women treat her
with reverence.
Mariam had confessed to murdering Rasheed at the trial. She was insulted by several of the judges, but one older man
treated her with some mild respect.
Mariam only stays at the prison for ten days. On the last day, she is sent to Ghazi Stadium where she's executed in front
of thousands of onlookers.

Chapter 48
In this chapter, the book shifts from the past tense to the present tense.
Laila and Tariq are now married. They live in Muree and enjoy a comfortable life with Zalmai and Aziza. Tariq's goat
Alyona provides food, and his home even has hot water and modern plumbing.
Laila, Zalmai, and Aziza accompany Tariq while he works at the hotel, helping him with small tasks.
Tariq and Aziza bond immediately, but Zalmai is still distant after the loss of his father. Everyone is happy, but they're
still emotionally weary after what they've gone through.
Chapter 49
That September, Tariq learns that Massoud, one of the original leaders of the Mujahideen, has been assassinated.
Two days later, Tariq and Laila are at the hotel when they see a group of people surrounding a TV, watching a news
broadcast. It's a BBC report on the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Soon, the reporters begin talking about the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. Laila and Tariq learn that the US has declared
war on Afghanistan.
One night, Tariq suggests that Afghanistan might be better off after this war. Laila is too scarred by her experience with
war to agree.

Chapter 50
Things are beginning to stabilize in Afghanistan in 2002. The Taliban is out of power, and the presence of the ISAF gives
citizens some degree of security.
Things are good in Murree as well, but Laila is restless and tells Tariq that she wants to go back to Kabul help rebuild. He
agrees. Laila has one more request, however: she wants to visit Herat, Mariam's hometown, on the way back.
After an emotional goodbye and a long bus ride, they arrive in Herat. Tariq spends the day in the city with the kids while
Laila takes a cab to Gul Daman, the village where Mariam was raised.
First, Laila visits the home of Mullah Faizullah. She meets his son, Hamza, who tells her that the Mullah has passed. Laila
tells Hamza what happened to Mariam.
Hamza leads Laila to the house where Mariam grew up. Laila walks through the now-abandoned home alone, imaging
what it would have looked like when Mariam lived there.
After Laila's finished, Hamza gives her a tin box. He says that Jalil gave it to him in the hopes of getting it to Mariam.
Laila opens the box back at the hotel. There are several things inside. There's a cassette copy of Pinocchio. There's also
a letter to Mariam from Jalil in which he apologizes for his lack of courage and tells her how much he truly loved her as a
daughter.
The last item in the box shocks Lailait's Mariam's portion of Jalil's inheritance.

Chapter 51
Laila and her family now live in Kabul. Laila used Mariam's money to fund Zaman's orphanage, where she and Tariq now
also work. There is still the threat of war in Kabul, but things are improving.
At the end of the book, we learn that Laila is pregnant with a new child and that the whole family regularly debates
baby names. They know better than to debate girl names, though. If it's a girl, Laila already knows that her name will be
Mariam.